Hospital staff hit right note for global campaign

Bradford
Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust staff have found a fun way to promote a
campaign with a serious message.

They have
come up with an entertaining method to support global campaign
#EndPJparalysis, which aims to get patients out of their pyjamas and up and out
of bed.

The local
‘Stop Gowning Around’ concept has been captured in a short film, which shows
staff performing a catchy song, ‘Taking Your Gown off’ to the tune of the
popular Buck’s Fizz hit, ‘Making Your Mind Up.’

The
performance has involved staff, volunteers and friends of the Trust and been
filmed at Bradford Royal Infirmary.

The Trust’s
Chief Nurse, Karen Dawber is the driving force behind the campaign with the
support of clinical leads, Associate Chief Nurse for Quality Improvement, Sue
Franklin and Nursing and Midwifery Quality Lead, Andrea Gillespie.

Get patients out of
bed

Sue said:
“The aims of the #EndPJparalysis campaign are very simple: to get our patients
up out of bed, dressed and moving. There is plenty of evidence to show that
increased activity can help recovery, reduce muscle wastage, maintain
independence and lead to patients being discharged sooner.

“So for our
patients here at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust we are
joining this national campaign and going to be encouraging our patients to
‘stop gowning around’ and get up, get dressed and moving.

Karen added:
“It may seem staggering but bedbound patients lose between 1per cent to 5 per
cent of their muscle strength each day they are in bed. They can also develop
pressure ulcers, venous thromboembolism e.g. DVT, PE, confusion, loss of
motivation and depression.

“Many
patients also lose the ability to carry out routine daily activities such as
bathing, dressing, getting out of bed and walking, due to unnecessary bed rest.

Although
patients of all ages can benefit from being more active, it is particularly
important for older people. Recent studies suggest for an older person aged
65+, a loss of muscle strength can make the difference between dependence and
independence with every 10 days of bed-rest in hospital equating to 10 years of
muscle ageing.”

The
#EndPJparalysis campaign’s creator is Brian Dolan, an NHS-trained nurse and
Director of Service Improvement at Canterbury District Health Board in New
Zealand.

Going home

He says:
“This could be the difference between a patient going home or going to a care
home.”

The Trust’s
‘Stop Gowning Around’ campaign has many benefits for patients. Not only does it
help them to recover more quickly, but keeping a patient moving builds
strength, and enhances mental wellbeing.

Clinical
staff are now being encouraged to consider ways they can support patients to
maintain some normality in their routine and get up, dressed and active.